Need to Incorporate Spirituality into Current Education

The time has come to shed the myth that science and technology can solve all the problems of man and grant him everlasting peace and joy. The last few decades have witnessed mind-boggling advances in science and technology but today’s man is leading a miserable life.

Man should be rational and scientific. He should also have the courage to face the Truth. Science after all is the pursuit of truth. Science is constantly evolving and old theories and paradigms are often discarded in the light of current knowledge. Several leading scientists have realized that materialistic view of the universe has several flaws and cannot explain all the phenomena.

The discovery that matter and energy are interconvertible was a major milestone in the evolution of science. This helped in understanding the oneness of the entire cosmos. Quantum physicists are baffled by the behaviour of matter which appears to be particle and also wave.

Another major milestone is the discovery that Consciousness is independent of brain and is not a product of the biochemical reactions in the brain.

Scientists had to accept this, as there is overwhelming evidence to say that a person’s consciousness continues to exist in spite of brain death.

Several leading psychiatrists, specialists in other branches of medicine, well known scientists including some Nobel Prize winners, lawyers, Judges and Journalists are firmly convinced that death is not the end and our consciousness or soul survives the death of the body.

We also have sufficient evidence to say that what we perceive with our five senses is not the whole reality and there are other dimensions of existence.

Many psychiatrists also accept that problems like anxiety and phobias are due to experiences in the past lives in many instances. Past life regression is being employed in the treatment of such disorders with satisfactory results.

In the light of all this information it is inevitable that we introduce scientific spirituality in schools and college. Many people confuse spirituality with religion and argue that if one religion is introduced in schools, followers of other religions will protest. We can avoid reference to any particular religious text and teach spirituality which is based as scientific methods.

For young children we can teach that there is an intelligent force which is responsible for creating this universe, using simple examples. We can show a flower made of paper and explain that just as a human brain is behind its making there must be a brain behind a natural flower.

We can show a robot and teach them that the human body which is for more complicated cannot come into existence without an intelligent force guiding the cells which make up the body.

We can explain the limitations of our senses using common examples. For example dogs can smell what we cannot, bats can hear what we cannot and eagles can see what human eyes cannot.

Then we can explain that God is everywhere but our senses cannot perceive. It should be explained that God does not have any particular name and can be referred to by many names just as water can be known by different words in different languages.

We should teach them that after leaving this world we enter another world and the type of world depends on the way we live on earth-those living on the principles of Truth, Righteous conduct, Peace, Love and Non-violence go to a better world and those who deviate from these principles and lead lives based on deceit, exploitation, hatred and violence enter a miserable world.

We should teach children that God knows all our thoughts, words and deeds and no one can fool God. Teenagers may be taught about the scientific evidence for the existence of soul. They can also be taught techniques of meditation which give peace of mind and joy.

Children’s minds are easily impressionable. It is easy to instil faith in a higher power in their minds. By repeatedly teaching them that the only way to please God and be happy is to lead lives based on values we can mould their character. Such children are more likely to become good human beings and establish a healthy society. By neglecting spirituality we run the risk of turning into devils and making this world a hell filled with hatred, violence and crime.